Do you choose to sin against the Holy Spirit?

John 14:23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’

Those described in John 14:23 are righteous because they choose to love Jesus and thus have God living in them. Those described in John 14:24 are unrighteous don’t because they choose to hate Jesus and thus don’t have God living in them.

IT’S A MATTER OF CHOICE – YOUR CHOICE

So, how can you recognise what choice a professing Christian has made?

The answer is simple – Have they chosen to obey Jesus or to disobey Him?

Your ChoiceIn the Holy Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of two gates that everyone has to make a decision over which one to go through. One gate is Narrow and the other is Wide. Each of these gates leads onto a road that represents your life here on earth and likewise they are the same as their entrance gate.Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

No NeutralityDo you want to go to heaven when you die? Then quite clearly, God has offered you his only Son in order that you can make a thoughtful choice in this matter. He does not offer you a neutral path. You will have to make a choice, if not the narrow road to Heaven, then the wide road to Hell.

The Lord Jesus clearly states in Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

Matthew 12:22-37 New International Version – UK (NIVUK)

Jesus and Beelzebul [Devil]

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons. [they claimed Jesus was on the side of the Devil]’

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. [the Holy Spirit of God’s power]

29 ‘Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. [the Holy Spirit has power over the Devil]

30 ‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. [those professing Christians described in John 14:24] 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. [When the Holy Spirit does something and a person says it’s not true – often Christian Church Leaders]

33 ‘Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him [John 14:23], and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him [John 14:24]. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. [Christless Christians deny this]’

Dear Professing Christian,

Are you with the Lord Jesus and gathering new Disciples, or, against Him by scattering lost souls?

Do you see yourself clearly? Well, the Lord Jesus certainly does.

Take a look at your life

Do you have any bricks that need to be removed? Do you hear the Holy Spirit calling you to remove some walls in your life so that Jesus can freely communicate and spend time with you? Why not follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit right now and ask for help breaking down any wall of separation between you and God.

John 14:23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.’

When the person described in John 14:23 seeks, while in the Holy Spirit of God, to help you in any way. Yet you continually resist that person. Then clearly, you are resisting the Holy Spirit. That the Spirit keeps trying to get you to do His Will, is a sign of God’s Grace. However, it’s folly to believe He will keep trying forever.

The person described in John 14:24 becomes an Impenitent Sinner.

[Charles G. Finney said] It is that state of self-seeking into which men not influenced by the Spirit of God, always fall. In this state men make themselves and their own supposed good, the object of supreme regard. Their ultimate design in all they do, is their own gratification. I mean all this, and precisely this;–in all they do for others, and in all they think themselves to do for God, their own self is the supreme and ultimate end. Everything terminates in self–or they feel no interest in it. [They refuse to help me in my witness for the Lord Jesus]

In other words, impenitence is a state of consecration to self. Beyond all controversy, impenitent men are entirely consecrated–only it is not to God, but to self. To their own gratification, and their own supposed interests, they are supremely devoted. [They set up their own places where they can be worshipped and praised by Members]

It is a great mistake, to suppose that impenitent sinners are not devotional. They are most profoundly and perfectly so. You could not ask for more perfect specimens of devotion to a given object–but the object in their case is their own self. It cannot be said that they fall short of entire consecration. With them consecration is never unsteady, fitful, imperfect. Self being their idol, the worship they pay is always ardent, hearty, and consistent with their whole life. Furthermore, the impenitent man consecrates not only his own efforts and interests to himself, but the interests of every other being–of God as far as he can, and of his fellow beings also. All sentient beings in the universe within his reach are laid under contribution to minister to his supreme deity–self. He cares not for God, only as he can make God subservient to himself. He would pray to God, if he could thereby make God his own servant–not otherwise. If he does good to any of his fellow beings, you may be sure he has himself for the ultimate object–this is all; he cares for nothing in the universe, except so far as he can make it subservient to himself. [Their Testimony is never about what Jesus has done in their life, but what they have done – their proof for their ministry is themself]

HOW LONG BEFORE THE PERSON RESISTING THE HOLY SPIRIT, STOPS HEARING HIM?